Most religious and spiritual traditions go through growing pains as they change and evolve over years, even centuries. Ideals and beliefs transform into something more fitting with modern times, even as they try to hold on to older traditions and rituals in an ever-changing landscape. Scientific knowledge and the rise of technology no doubt add to the need for belief systems to “get with the times” or fall by the wayside. If people can’t relate to it, they won’t believe in it.
When it comes to witchcraft and Wicca, these traditions have found a way to continue to embrace primitive roots and beliefs while modernizing alongside the growing affinity for technology, social networking, and the shifting ways of relating to others that now include screens of all sizes.
Witchcraft and Wicca have found the sweet spot of honoring the old ways in a new way that resonates with people who just twenty or fifty years ago would never have even considered looking at these traditions, or walking the path of Earth-based belief systems. These old systems have found incredible new life and are growing more popular by the day. Why? Perhaps it is because they offer a return to the natural world and a newfound respect of Mother Nature while allowing for growth, expansion, and enlightenment via the most cutting-edge methods by which human beings now relate to other human beings.
One look at Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram shows that witchcraft and Wicca feel right at home in the wild world of social networking, and have succeeded in drawing new eyes and minds to explore and experience the world of witchery enough to decide to either join or turn away from it. Never before in history has so much information been so accessible to so many people.
Perhaps that is why witchcraft and Wicca are growing like crazy while more traditional systems stagnate, struggling to find a way to keep up with the passage of time and the current needs of the people they serve. Witchcraft and Wicca offer a way, a tradition that is both formal and free, with different sub-paths to choose from depending on individual beliefs and preferences. The technology-driven world might seem in direct opposition to the nature-loving world of witchcraft, but the two have so much to offer each other when it comes to spreading knowledge and sharing information all over the world.
When it comes to witchcraft and Wicca, there simply is no “out with the old, in with the new” because both go hand in hand and both complement each other. The old is as revered as the new, for without the deep and ancient roots, the fresh and green treetops would never exist to touch the sky. It all serves to make up the tree of life. The new witch of today is a bridge between the ancient pagan ways of our ancestors, and the future of humanity.
Witchcraft is a return to the self, yet also a deeper connection to the soul of the world itself. Witches revere life and the planet we live on. Witches do not harm or kill people as some would try to have you believe because they are not empty or void of a strong inner spirit. They cultivate that inner spirit and their bonds with the natural world. They do their best to put out good vibes and healing.
If you are already a practicing witch who wants to expand his or her horizons, or a new witch who isn’t sure where to go or what to do, come along on this journey. You are welcome here. There is no judgment or persecution. All are welcome as long as they respect themselves, others, and the planet and do no harm. Being a witch is more than just tossing runes or putting crystals on an altar. It’s more than casting a spell for a healing or an increase in finances. It’s more than dancing under the full moon with others of like mind. It’s a way of life and one that just might help save the world.
As a witch on Instagram stated: “A witch is someone who works with Nature, not against it. A witch has respect and awe for Nature, not disregard and contempt. A witch uses the gifts of nature with gratitude and reverence, not abusing it and destroying it for selfish gain.”
“Wiccans strongly believe in magic that can be manipulated through the form of witchcraft,” according to Witchcraft and Witches, “… with spells being cast through the form of ritual practices often using a set of tools.… The practice of spells is a conscious act seeking both inward and outward transformation, and is inextricably linked with the Wiccan notion of what is spiritual and how they understand their relationship with all beings, the Earth, and the Cosmos.”
“I am a student of nature and the Mother Earth,” says another witch on Instagram. “What she knows, I wish to learn.”
“As students of the Arts Magical,” it is noted in Exploring the Pagan Path: Wisdom from the Elders, “we have a responsibility to educate ourselves about the world around us. If we are to impose our will upon the universe, we ought to have a decent understanding of the natural order of things.… Our power lies in our connection to deity, a link that requires constant maintenance.”
Notice a pattern here? Not one of these practicing witches talks about evil or the Devil or making blood sacrifices. Not one talks about being better than others or even judging others, and instead they try to encourage others to see their own magical abilities and nurture them. Not one encourages using spells to gain power over others. Not one promotes harm to anyone or anything, knowing that karmic law applies to witches in a big way and that doing harm knocks their own spirits off balance and out of harmony.
The witches of old would be so proud and excited to see what this new witch is up to. They would be amazed at how adept the new witch is at fitting in with the world at large, while embracing and staying true to the Craft. And they would be thrilled to watch how the new witch combines ancient knowledge and wisdom with the cutting-edge world of the internet and social networking to set the record straight about what witches are and do despite hundreds of years of bad PR. As one Wiccan on Facebook commented in a Wicca group, “There are so many trolls on the public group pages making awful comments about us. I used to get angry until I realized they were just uneducated and ignorant. The information about who we are and what we do is out there for public consumption. It takes courage and the ability to admit you may have been wrong to go read it! But I truly believe in making that information readily available to everyone. Not everyone will understand or accept us, but at least the information is out there for the few who will.”
The new witch is an influencer and a revolutionary, using the world wide web of information to spread the word about what it really means to exercise a deep connection with Earth.